Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Name): Ross
DATE: 1/3/15
LOCATION: Coneys
ELEVATION: 9,400-10,900
ASPECT: E-NE
WEATHER: 9.00am S1 (C), 12.00noon S2 (c) , 3.00 S1 (m) Cold throughout the day. 5c start 15c finish
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS: Mixed bag out there. New snow sits on surface hoar but accumulations didn’t change things radically. High in Coneys ski cutting produced minor results. Small wind slabs ran 10-20 feet off the cornice convex roll up high, ski pen 20cm,  down low ski pen was 25-30 cm. Amazing how different snow pack was between upper and lower elevations. Many hand sheers produces similar results. Dec 13 interface produced clean to moderate SP results up higher in the bowl, while other tests lower in the bowl resulted in SC collapses at the faceted base. Trap door like down lower. Skied in 1st bowl and skinned up for a second lap in second bowl. No instabilities seen aside from the small wind slab at the top of 1st bowl. The dec 30 release in the pocket of 2nd bowl still obvious.

Kebler Pass Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Name: Evan Ross
DATE: 2014-12-31
Location: Scarps Ridge
Elevation 10,000-12,200
Aspect: S-SW

Weather: Clear dog clear! Calm wind at ridgeline becoming light to moderate from the southeast in the afternoon. Some blowing snow at ridelines. The next storm was approaching from the southwest in the afternoon.

Snowpack: Prime time ski time! Great skiing conditions on south facing slopes. NTL and ATL slopes had a dense wind pressed slab from the Solstice storm with fresh low density snow on top from earlier this weak. Didn’t find any signs to instability but managed terrain features and stayed on slopes 35 degrees or less. Surface hoar was widespread in the morning. Vary small, 1-2mm.

Avalanches: Numerous avalanches observed that failed during the Solstice Cycle. Wide propagating slabs on west aspects and smaller pockets on southeast aspects. All startzones likely 35 degrees or steeper.

Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Guide(s): Donny (Irwin Guides)
Date: 2014-12-31
Location: Red Lady Glades to Evan’s Basin
Elevation: 9200′ to 12,400′
Aspect: Mostly south

Weather: clear, calm and cold at the trailhead in the morning.  Significant warming during the day.  It was downright pleasant to 11,800′.  Moderate winds from SE on top of Mt. Emmons.  Some blowing snow and loading into Redwell Basin.

Snowpack/Avalanche Obs: Ski pen of 5cm while skinning.  Boot pen varied.  At times it would go to the Dec. 13 interface, other times it would go to the basal facets.  Snow surface was a mix of surface facets and surface hoar.  No signs of instabilities or recent avalanches.  I dug two, quick holes.  The Dec. 13th interface is still there, and the snow above it gains strength the deeper it gets.  Why is it not reactive?  I wonder if the snow since Dec. 13th isn’t starting to facet, maybe some crusts as well, and therefore the change in hardness is less dramatic?  Obviously, I didn’t have time to study in more detail. Thoughts?

Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Date: 12/30/14
Location: Red lady glades/evans basin
Elevation: 9,200-11,600
Aspect: S-W

Weather: Overcast/broken S1 at best. Little to no wind. No snow transport.

Snowpack/Avalanche Obs: 5 to 10 cm of new snow, hard to tell in certain areas up high due to wind. Light wind (L) today have filled in rocky areas off the summit and the ridge, not scoured. Thin snowpack up high leading to Evans basin, thin. Foot pen 40cm, ski pen 25cm down lower in the trees. A mix of crust and facets depending on aspect, seems to be bonding well on crust: ski cuts did not produced any results. No activity seen.

Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Name:   Evan
DATE: 2014-12-29
LOCATION:  RL glades/Evans Basin
ELEVATION:  9200′ – 11,600′
ASPECT: S – SW
WEATHER: Overcast, flat light, snowing throughout most of the day mostly S-1,  calm wind.
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS:  Group skiing fun on slopes less then 30 degrees. Ski pin about 15cm or boot top.
Numerous D1-1.5 soft slab avalanches in Evans Basion from the Solstice Storm avalanche cycle. All on high 30 degree terrain facing E-SE. To far away to get more information.

Crested Butte Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Name: Ross
DATE: 2014-12-28
ACTIVITY:  Level One Avy Course, Tour Day
LOCATION:  Evans Basin
ELEVATION:  9200′ – 11,600′
ASPECT: S – SW
WEATHER: Overcast , snowing throughout the day mostly S1 with S2 in the afternoon,  Light wind at lower elevations, with wind picking up at higher elevations above 11,000′. Cold
SNOWPACK/AVALANCHE OBS:   In shaded areas snow is faceted at the ground and other more solar facing areas a variety of crusts exist deeper in the pack  No signs of avalanches or instabilities. Ski pen 15cm. Good skiing. Stayed away from 30 degrees and steeper with the avy class. Wind crust in open areas present from the last wind event but getting buried by the new snow.

Crested Butte Zone

CBAC2014-15 Observations

Name: Donny, Will
Date: 2014-12-28
Activity: Level One Avy Course, Tour Day
Location: Red Coon Glades
Elevation: 9200′ – 11,600′
Aspect: S – SE

Weather: Overcast to obscured skies, snowfall throughout day, periods of S2, but less than 5cm accumulation throughout day. Snow was mostly DFs with a short period of graupel.  Light wind most of the day, with moderate W/SW winds above 11,000′. -13ºC at 9200′ @ 10:30; -18ºC at 11,600′ @ 13:00

Snowpack & Avalanche Obs: Not much new to report. Dec. 13th interface still present above 10,000′.  More solar aspects present a harder crust, shaded aspects are more faceted.  Nothing new here.  Top 3cm of new snow was denser than bottom 2-3 cm due to increased winds.  No signs of avalanches or instabilities.

Kebler Pass Area

CBAC2014-15 Observations

I groom for the snowmobile club. I was coming down the east side of Spain’s today, heading north. There was a sizable slide across the trail. It’s been somewhat covered by fresh so I guess it’s a few days olds but it was a good 150′ wide and looks as if it slid form 200′ no idea how deep it was. It took a few 10″ trees with it.

Ohio Pass

CBAC2014-15 Observations